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This post will be a little about a lot of things. It will have elements that have to do with my spiritual views and I am not trying to push my faith on you, it's just part of this story I must tell...

I had written a post late on Monday night which was very cathartic experience. Processing what was happening, and feeling pain and hope intermingled. They are both still part of the mix. And many other emotions.

MISSING

I just couldn't wrap my mind around the fact that he was MISSING. That's like in a movie, not something that happens in real life. An entire person and an entire car cannot be missing.

Yet, they can. And they were.

Over the course of the next couple of days was the searching, and the brainstorming, sharing on social media, the disbelief & sadness & hope above all else. The praying.

I've been inspired by prayer and different ways to pray. My friend, Paul, (who is also a pastor - hey, I'm a PK, I know a LOT of them!) has shown me various, unique ways to pray over the years.

Today, I used a technique I learned from Napoleon Hill. That's right. I pulled out of my hat a concept from The Law of Success in Sixteen Lessons, published in 1925. Because it was pertinent. And I believe it works.

The power of the collective, and it's called the "Master Mind." Defined as "a mind that is developed through the harmonious co-operation of two or more people who ally themselves for the purpose of accomplishing any given task.

I'm not going to dive too deeply into this concept, but it deals with physics and vibrational frequency of matter. Individual minds blended together for one purpose - to function as one.

Today, I felt compelled to put this into action (although I didn't fully define that it was what I did until this evening) and cast the net as widly as possible - including hundreds of people worldwide via email, text and the internet. I really have no idea who all participated, and right now, that really doesn't matter. At a set time, (in this case, NOON CST), a collective prayer and positive thought wave (whichever people preferred) was to happen. With focus on ONE person. To focus on his image, to speak his name aloud.

This was my specific post:

"I am organizing a SIMULTANEOUS, COLLECTIVE prayer to go out today at NOON Central time. Take an uninterrupted moment today at NOON Central to please pray: focus on this image of Gordon, use his name and pray aloud if possible!! The collective power of prayer!! Tagging some so this is seen and we have as many people as possible!!"

Accompanied by the image below:

And many were tagged. I call them my Prayer Warriors. (Not sure if I heard that used somewhere or if I made that up!)

There was a reminder sent just before noon. Texts, FB. I personally went to a space where I was by myself, where I knew I could not be interrupted - no distractions. Also listened to alpha waves - listening to them helps match the brain to that frequency. Why get your brain in alpha wave mode? They help your mind to focus, release stress and increase creativity.

I'm not holding back here, think I'm strange or not? *don't care* 😊

The focus was intense on these things for almost a quarter of an hour. I actually didn't want to stop... Difficult to explain that feeling of urgency.

But I did and felt very peaceful. (I had tears running from my closed eyes most of the time, but I did feel peaceful!)

I kept asking and asking that we be shown where he was. That he be revealed. And that he was safe, if it was His Will. To give peace to all of his family (blood-related or church) and especially his wife, Barbara.

And this afternoon, it was revealed where he was. It was a relief to know. But the text I received from my aunt (a text, because she couldn't bring herself to talk) also revealed that he was deceased. The terrible thing none of us wanted to be true. That couldn't be true.

Yet, it was.

So many tears this week, and yet, another deluge began. I'm pretty sure near the end of the evening, there were salt stalactites beginning to grow from my eyes. I had thought in passing about the Collective Prayer and wondered if that worked. I do believe in the power of prayer. Then I received a couple of affirming statements. I received a text from my cousin:

I don't take credit for that idea, I believe I was led to it.

The texting once again filled our eyes to the brim...

No, you stop. No, YOU stop. (I wish I could stop.)

Another messaged me, saying one prayer had been answered.

I realized both of them were correct, and they recognized that before I could. I didn't doubt the power of prayer, especially as a collective - I think it was more in doubting myself and whether I did enough to help.

Through this process, I saw an amazing human spirit emerge - people that I don't even know personally (let alone knew Gordon) were reaching out to offer help or prayer. To send their positive thoughts to aid in the situation. Thousands of people responded, in the time frame that was almost exactly 48 hours from the time he was last seen until the moment he was found.

There was an almost tangible outpouring of love, and that is amazing.

A good friend lives nearer the area (where he was last seen) than I and was really drawn to help. She really didn't ask, she had just decided and told me that yesterday evening she was going to drive around and look. The area where she lives is about 1-1/2 hours from where he was last seen, but it couldn't hurt! It was interesting to notice how compelled she was to do this - a feeling of intuition that she couldn't shake.

But before that search was possible, he was found. There was an initial vague online article about finding him, lacking any real details, but enough to show the area. Have mentioned before the I don't believe in coincidences, and was reminded again last night... He was found in his car (and was determined no foul play) in a flooded field only about 4 minutes from where my friend lives. The road he would have driven off of wasn't a main thoroughfare - most take a more utilized route.

But that was the road she was going to check last night. Everything aligned and he was found prior to that search, but the Collective did work. God did provide the answer. He was found. The waiting and the wondering was over.

The waiting and the wondering was torture. Now we can grieve.

This octogenarian - with his piercing blue eyes, easy demeanor and gentle Southern drawl - will be sorely missed. He touched MANY, many lives through his work as a pastor and just in everyday life. He created a life that was so worth living, a legacy that will continue to be passed to future generations. And that's priceless. Gordon, we love you. 💗